Monday, March 28 2005 17:16 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

New Delhi: CPM (Communist Party of India-Marxist) today (Mar 28, 2005) asked the Centre to "out-rightly" reject the US' offer of F-16 fighter planes, saying accepting it will adversely impact Indo-Pak relations and would tantamount to becoming Washington's junior partner in the missile defence system.

Holding that US was trying to draw the country into its global strategic plans by asking New Delhi to join the missile defence system, CPM Polit Bureau said "India should out-rightly reject the proposal to join the infamous National Missile Defence System as joining it will tantamount to becoming a junior partner of the US."

"Acceptance of these offers will also adversely impact India-Pakistan relations," it said, adding that the game of the Bush administration was "clear" as it intends to draw India into a strategic military relationship just as Pakistan had been involved in one for decades.

"The fuelling of arms race between India and Pakistan with the sale of sophisticated weaponry to both countries suits the US' interests perfectly as well as providing a good market for its arms manufacturers," CPM said.

The pursuit of an independent foreign policy and forging of closer ties with all major countries including China should not be sidetracked by the US efforts to inveigle India into a strategic military alliance, it said.

Asking the UPA (United Progressive Alliance) Government to be "wary" of such offers from Washington, it said India has been accessing Defence equipment from a number of countries and "experience shows that the US cannot be relied upon to be a dependable supplier for political reasons."